An electric overhead conveyor for transporting objects, comprising a supporting rail and comprising a supporting carriage is known from DE 10 2008 049 975 A1. Here, the supporting carriage is provided with an undercarriage which receives a load and which comprises at least one driven drive roller.
DE 198 02 186 C1 discloses an overhead conveyor comprising at least one undercarriage movable on rails, comprising a drivable running wheel and comprising at least two frictional wheels distanced from one another and resting on the running wheel distanced from one another in the direction of travel.
In the case of transport tasks in a facility, for example an industrial facility, specific problems may occur. By way of example, sets of carriages for items to be transported are usually displaced from a transfer bridge into a facility area, for example a parked position or a processing apparatus, using what are known as push-pull units or tractors. A transfer bridge can be designed to travel to a number of facility areas. The parked positions can be arranged on both sides of the transfer bridge. A known disadvantage when transporting sets of carriages from one side of the transfer bridge to the opposite side is the presence of rate limitations. A further disadvantage is considered to be the fact that, for example when transporting items into a furnace, sensitive drive components are exposed to high temperatures, which can lead to a reduction of the service life of the drive components.